VIDEO: Social media star without arms celebrates first Mother’s Day as a mom

Hundreds of thousands of people have watched Kashmiere Culberson online — driving a car, eating, and putting on makeup without arms. Now they’re watching her take on motherhood.

“I just want to show people that I’m normal,” says the 28-year-old Dallas native, who’s known as Kash to her followers. “I just do things a little different.”

Kash was born at Methodist Dallas Medical Center with a rare condition known as bilateral phocomelia. She returned to the hospital in June 2025 to deliver her own daughter, ZaNova, with help from the same nurse who cared for Kash’s mom after her delivery.

Now, a year after her baby’s birth, Kash is celebrating her first Mother’s Day as a mom, cherishing her only child’s every milestone.

“My baby is here. She’s healthy. She’s beautiful,” says Kash, who credits that longtime nurse, Rose Marie Krause, RN, and all the other “incredible” staff members at Methodist Dallas. “They were so patient with me, answering my questions and helping me through everything.”

FINDING HER PEOPLE

Before becoming a mother, Kash was busy building her life as a business owner and content creator.

She runs a tech business, prepares taxes, and shares parts of her daily life online with nearly 1 million followers and subscribers across YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, showing them how she accomplishes everyday tasks without arms.

Kash began posting videos online while she was in college. At first, it was simply a creative outlet, but people quickly connected with her story because she showed her followers what it looks like to live fully, confidently, and unapologetically.

“People kept telling me I inspired them,” she says. “I didn’t realize it at first.”

Eventually, she understood why. Her story reminds people that limitations don’t define a person’s future. Motherhood has become the newest chapter in that story.

Kash shares every routine with her followers, from eating to securing ZaNova in her car seat.

PREECLAMPSIA RISKS

Pregnancy came as a surprise to Kash, who didn’t think she could have children.

“The lady was like, ‘Hey, you’re pregnant,’” Kash says with a laugh. “My mouth just dropped.”

Her first and second trimesters were relatively typical, but everything changed in the third. She needed to be monitored closely after a diagnosis of high-risk preeclampsia, a condition that causes high blood pressure during pregnancy.

“Elevated blood pressure in pregnancy is not always considered preeclampsia,” says Robert Vasquez, MD, OB-GYN on the medical staff at Methodist Dallas. “The diagnosis ranges from gestational hypertension to preeclampsia, among other factors.”

Kash was admitted to Methodist Dallas, and her hospital room became a second home.

“I thought they just wanted to make sure I was good and we would go home,” she says. “But I was there for two months.”

Meanwhile, Kash’s family and friends stepped in to carry the weight of everything happening outside the hospital walls: setting up her nursery, bringing meals, and making sure she never felt alone.

“You know, they say it takes a village to raise a child,” Kash says. “But it also takes a village just to be there for someone. And my village showed up.”

While Kash was on bed rest at Methodist Dallas, part of her past walked through the door.

Kash had plenty of support growing up but never let her disability hold her back.

A DELIVERY LIKE NO OTHER

When Kash was born in 1997, her rare condition stunned the clinical staff. Doctors ran tests to find the cause. They searched for answers but found none.

“So many tests were done,” Kash says. “They tested my parents, my grandparents, everybody. But they couldn’t find anything.”

For Kash’s mother, Tomika Bomar, that day was all so overwhelming.

“I remember the room filling with people,” she recalls. “Everything happened so fast. I didn’t even see her right away because they had taken her to the NICU.”

The news that her baby had been born without arms was too much to process at first. But the nurses were there for Tomika.

“They were incredible,” she says. “So attentive, so caring. They took such good care of me.”

After her delivery, Kash was reunited with Rose Marie Krause, RN, a nurse who cared for her as a baby.

One of those nurses was Rose Marie. Nearly 30 years later, she was asked to care for a pregnant patient who had been born on her watch back in 1997.

“When I learned about her background, I realized I had cared for that baby years ago,” Rose says.

It was a full-circle moment for the three women.

‘WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE’

While growing up, Kash spent years caring for others. As the oldest sibling, she helped with her younger brothers and sisters.

“I fed them, changed diapers, just like any older sister,” says Kash, who never let her physical limitations hold her back.

One moment from her childhood still stands out. A fire broke out in the kitchen when she was a child.

“It was like fight or flight,” Kash says, thinking about that day.

Kash has seized every moment, from scuba diving to daddy-daughter dances to joining the cheerleading squad.

Without hesitation, she loaded her siblings into a cart and got them out of the house to safety.

“I picked them up and got them out,” she says. “I didn’t even think about it.”

Her mother says that’s who Kash has always been.

“She doesn’t focus on what she can’t do,” Tomika says. “She just does what needs to be done.”

ZaNova is getting plenty of cuddles at home from Kash and her boyfriend, Zeandre Polk.

FINDING THE RIGHT DOCTOR

After Kash learned she was pregnant, finding the right care team was her top priority. When she connected with Dr. Vasquez, the two quickly bonded.

“I love, love, love him. It was funny because, of course, he never had a patient like me,” she says with a huge smile. “He didn’t know at first if he was the best for me, but he ended up being exactly what I needed.”

Before taking on Kash as a patient, Dr. Vasquez made calls, looping in colleagues to ensure the right support was in place.

“I wanted to make sure that she got the best care possible, even if it wasn’t with my team and me,” he says. “I had no doubt that Methodist Dallas could take care of her, but I wanted it to be a smooth and easy process for her.”

Dr. Vasquez and his colleagues had to consider challenges most patients never face — from ensuring reliable IV access in an emergency to coordinating closely with anesthesia and surgical teams.

“Our first encounter in the clinic — I was amazed by her story and strength,” he says. “She is a beautiful soul, and her smile lights up any room.”

When Dr. Vasquez told Kash he’d be part of her care team, it was a memorable moment.

“We hugged, and there was so much joy,” he says. “I’m a better doctor because of Kashmiere, and I am honored she chose my colleagues and me to care for her.”

All the uncertainty was forgotten when ZaNova arrived happy and healthy in June 2025.

‘ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE’

When the time came to deliver ZaNova, doctors attempted to induce labor, but that process stalled. Eventually, Kash and her care team decided a C-section was the safest path forward.

“At first, I cried,” Kash says, her voice catching. “But once we got in there, everything went well.”

Relief filled the room when Kash saw ZaNova and heard her cry for the first time. The uncertainty, the fear — all of it led to that moment.

At first, because of the surgery, Kash couldn’t hold her newborn, so family and friends placed her near Kash’s face, giving mother and child a chance to bond.

“She’s not a person who likes a lot of help. She’s very independent,” Tomika says. “It’s just going to be cool to see our baby take care of her baby.”

A year later, Kash is back to sharing with her “Kash Crew,” what she calls her social media followers. Now her videos are focused on daily life as a mother, from feeding her baby to strapping her into a car seat.

And ZaNova is thriving, watching Kash’s every move and even trying to pick things up with her feet, just like Mom.

“We made it,” Kash says, teary-eyed, celebrating every precious moment. “Anything is possible if you’re happy with yourself and you set goals. Anybody can conquer them.”